He added: "This Ferrari is a very different Ferrari to the one I left in October 2014, in terms of men and mentality. Ferrari did a good car this year, which in some situations was even better than Mercedes. But the final part was missing.

"Vettel made some decisive mistakes, but for the world championship you have to do everything to keep him up. He is a driver of the highest order and always close to the team.

"In frustration he must be supported, even more so with the arrival of a very strong boy [Charles Leclerc] with a great future.

"[Michael] Schumacher also made mistakes in the first days, but it is always important to speak clearly in the locker room and support the team in public."

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